20 Year-Old Dumpsite Eradicated from Public Lands

Little by little, truck load by truck load, an illegal public dump had spread across a tract of Public Land in northern Lassen County. An investigation by BLM law enforcement rangers revealed that the blight had been spreading for 20 years in the brush and volcanic rock. The area is sparsely populated and lightly used, so the dump went undiscovered until two years ago.

Today, the dump is no more, after the BLM enlisted help of prison inmates from Intermountain Conservation Camp to clean up the mess. The crew removed nine tons of trash over the course of two days.

Trash litters the countryside at the illegal dumpsite

The inmate crew bags trash strewn among the lava rocks.

BLM investigators were able to link recent dumping at the site to three individuals who agreed to haul away their contributions to the dump, including refrigerators and hot tubs. They were also fined for illegal dumping.